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Labour supports Food Bill with reservations
Labour supports Food Bill with reservations
The Government’s intention to allow employers to demand a medical certificate from employees if they have a day off sick makes the Food Bill initiated by Labour even more important, says Labour Food Safety spokesperson Ashraf Choudhary.
“New Zealand has 18,000 cases of intestinal illness a year, 1000 of who require hospitalisation,” Ashraf Choudhary said. “The total cost of all this illness – mostly in terms of absence from the work place --- is estimated to be $86 million a year.”
The Government introduced the Food Bill in Parliament today because existing legislation had “grown like topsy and was difficult to enforce.
“The level of food-borne illness in New Zealand is not acceptable for our developed nation. The rates are higher than the United States, Great Britain and Australia.”
Dr Choudhary said it was vital that all food businesses had certainty about their obligations to New Zealanders.
“This Bill will largely provide that, removing areas of confusion for food handlers because obligations will be spelled out in a food plan.”
Dr Choudhary said Labour had some misgivings and reservations about National’s version of the Bill, however.
“We are not convinced that National is going to keep compliance costs to a minimum. The last thing we want is for the Bill to create an environment that is overly bureaucratic and expensive for food businesses and consumers,” Ashraf Choudhary said.
“According to documents released to Labour under the Official Information Act, fees in Dunedin for some classes of premises have increased by over $300. This is a substantial amount.
“Labour is also concerned that with a greater emphasis on self-monitoring there is a danger of operators becoming both the poacher and the gamekeeper. While it is important to have light-handed regulation, it must be regulation that works to reduce our appalling record of food-borne illness,” Ashraf Choudhary said.
”Labour is confident that this Bill will have no impact on Kiwi cake stalls and sausage sizzles.
“On the whole, it is a good Bill. Labour is proud of the work it has done in making it a reality.”
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